In a helium purification process, a stream containing at least 10% of helium, at least 10% of nitrogen in addition to hydrogen and methane is separated to form a helium-enriched stream containing hydrogen, a first stream enriched in nitrogen and in methane and a second stream enriched in nitrogen and in methane, the helium-enriched stream is treated to produce a helium-rich product and a residual gas containing water, the residual gas is treated by adsorption (TSA) to remove the water and the regeneration gas from the adsorption is sent to a combustion unit (O).

A crude helium stream is recovered from a natural gas feed by distillation. Refrigeration from expanding a portion of the bottoms liquid is used to partially condense the helium-enriched overhead vapor and generate a crude helium vapor and a helium-containing liquid stream that is recycled to the distillation column to maximize helium recovery. The helium-depleted natural gas stream can be returned at pressure for utilization or transportation.

A process for removing hydrogen and methanol from a CO2 stream which contains hydrogen and methanol as contaminants, wherein hydrogen and methanol are removed by contacting the CO2 stream with a catalyst which oxidizes hydrogen to water and methanol to carbon dioxide, obtaining a purified CO2 stream.

A method of removing buffer gas from a mixture comprising the buffer gas and hyperpolarized noble gas is described. The method includes reacting the buffer gas to produce a reaction product different to the buffer gas. The buffer gas may be reactively removed by one or more of oxidation, reduction, polymerization and binding reactions with solid surfaces. The buffer gas may be molecular hydrogen and/or molecular nitrogen. Apparatus for carrying out the method are also disclosed.

Processes and apparatuses for treating a sour synthesis gas are provided. The process comprises passing the sour synthesis gas stream to an acid gas removal unit to provide a treated synthesis gas stream and a CO.sub.2 rich stream. At least a portion of the CO.sub.2 rich stream is passed to a thermal oxidizer unit to provide a treated CO.sub.2 gas stream. At least a portion of the treated synthesis gas stream is passed to a pressure swing adsorption unit to obtain a purified hydrogen stream and a tail gas stream. At least a portion of the tail gas stream is passed to the thermal oxidizer unit.

The present invention relates to a process for obtaining pure helium using a first membrane separation stage a second membrane separation stage and a third membrane separation stage. The first membrane separation stage is supplied with a first helium-containing feed mixture, the second membrane separation stage with a second helium-containing feed mixture and the third membrane separation stage with a third helium-containing feed mixture a first permeate and a first retentate are formed in the first membrane separation stage, a second permeate and a second retentate in the second membrane separation stage and a third permeate and a third retentate in the third membrane separation stage. The first feed mixture is formed using at least part of a helium-containing starting mixture. The second feed mixture is formed using at least part of the first permeate. The third feed mixture is formed using at least part of the second permeate. The third permeate is at least partly processed by pressure swing adsorption to obtain pure helium and a residual mixture at least some of the residual mixture is used in the formation of the second or third feed mixture.

A method for separating a synthesis gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen including compressing a flow of synthesis gas received from a source of synthesis gas in a compressor, purifying the compressed synthesis gas in a purification unit to purify it of water and/or carbon dioxide, cooling the compressed and purified flow of synthesis gas, separating the cooled flow of synthesis gas by washing and/or distillation at a cryogenic temperature and optionally by adsorption in a separating unit, and producing at least the following three gases in the separating unit: a carbon monoxide-enriched gas, a hydrogen-enriched gas, a residual gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen that is less pure with respect to carbon monoxide than the carbon monoxide-enriched gas and less pure with respect to hydrogen than the hydrogen-enriched gas.

Process for the combined production of a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen, and of carbon monoxide by cryogenic distillation and cryogenic scrubbing, wherein a methane-rich liquid is introduced at a first intermediate level of a scrubbing column as first scrubbing liquid and at least one nitrogen-rich liquid is introduced at a level higher than the first level of the scrubbing column as second scrubbing liquid and a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen is drawn off as overhead gas from the scrubbing column.

A thermolysis based hydrogen and oxygen generator and a method of generating hydrogen and oxygen can include a high pressure pump for pumping fluid, such fluid provided for separating into at least hydrogen molecules and oxygen molecules, a high pressure, high temperature spherical vessel coupled to the high pressure pump, and one or more lasers for focusing energy in a predetermined direction towards the spherical vessel, where the one or more lasers creates heat energy and pressure in the spherical vessel sufficiently to cause the fluid in the spherical vessel to separate into hydrogen molecules and oxygen molecules. The generator can further include a power supply for powering the one or lasers and the high pressure pump, a hydrogen storage tank coupled to the spherical vessel for storing the hydrogen molecules, and an oxygen storage tank coupled to the spherical vessel for storing the oxygen molecules.

A method of obtaining helium from a process gas. The process gas is at a pressure less than 15 bar to a first membrane separation stage having a first membrane more readily permeable for helium than for at least one other component in the process gas. A first retentate stream is fed to a second membrane separation stage having a second membrane more readily permeable for helium than for at least one other component in the process gas. Helium is separated from a first helium-containing permeate stream using a pressure swing adsorption to obtain a helium-containing product stream. A second helium-containing permeate stream is recycled to the first membrane separation stage. A purge gas from the pressure swing adsorption is also recycled to the first membrane separation stage.